At 30 June 2008, Tasmania had 17,902km of government-owned roads. These included roads owned by national, state and local governments and excluded private roads, unformed roads and tracks.

The AUSLINK National Network was responsible for 482km of roads, all of which were sealed. Of these, 88km (18.3%) were in Greater Hobart-Southern Region; 257km (53.3%) were in Northern Region; and 137km (28.4%) were in Mersey-Lyell Region.

The state government administered 3,148km of roads in Tasmania, 93.6% of which were sealed. Greater Hobart-Southern Region had 1,301km (41.3%) of these roads, 93.2% of which were sealed; Northern Region had 941km (29.9%), 89.2% of which were sealed; and Mersey-Lyell Region had 906km (28.8%), 99.3% of which were sealed.

Roads owned by local government covered 14,272km, 50.1% of which were sealed. Greater Hobart-Southern Region had 5,411km (37.9%), 42.4% of which were sealed; Northern Region had 4,951km (34.7%), 53.5% of which were sealed; and Mersey-Lyell Region had 3,910km (27.4%), 56.4% of which were sealed.

GOVERNMENT-OWNED ROADS, Sealed, 30 June 2008

MOTOR VEHICLES

On 31 March 2008, there were 391,327 vehicles registered in Tasmania. Of these, 39.2% were manufactured between 1991-2000, 36.1% between 2001-2008, 19.3% between 1981-1990, 4.1% between 1971-1980, and 1.3% were manufactured before 1971. On 31 March 2008, passenger vehicles accounted for 71.8% of all registered vehicles in Tasmania, followed by light commercial vehicles (20.1%), motor cycles (3.1%), heavy rigid trucks (2.1%) and campervans (1.0%).

According to the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, 37.4% of occupied private dwellings in Tasmania had one motor vehicle, 36.6% had two motor vehicles, 11.7% had three motor vehicles and 5.4% had four or more motor vehicles. Almost one in 10 occupied private dwellings (9.0%) did not have a motor vehicle.

On Census night (8th August 2006), Southern Midlands (11.1%) had the highest proportion of occupied private dwellings with four or more cars, followed by Central Highlands and Kentish (both 9.2%), Meander Valley (8.2%) and Dorset (8.0%).

Glenorchy (14.1%) had the highest proportion of occupied private dwellings with no motor vehicles, followed by Hobart (13.0%), Flinders (12.4%), Launceston (11.8%) and West Coast (11.3%).

MOTOR VEHICLES BY DWELLINGS(a), Tasmania

DRIVERS' LICENCES

The total number of drivers' licences in Tasmania increased steadily, from 335,745 in 2004 to 361,253 in 2008, an increase of 7.6%. The number of full basic drivers' licences increased 4.7%, from 303,328 in 2004 to 317,487 in 2008. There was a dramatic increase (53.8%) in the number of learner drivers' licences, from 16,385 in 2004 to 25,201 in 2008. During the same period, the number of provisional drivers' licences increased 17.6%, from 15,779 in 2004 to 18,565 in 2008.

DRIVERS' LICENCES, Tasmania

PERSONS KILLED OR INJURED IN ROAD CRASHES

The number of persons killed or injured in road crashes remained relatively unchanged during the five year period 2003-2008. Fatalities fluctuated between 41 and 58, while serious injuries decreased from 392 in 2003 to 277 in 2008. Minor injuries increased from 1,460 in 2003 to 1,511 in 2006 and 2007.

In 2008, half of all road crash fatalities were drivers, followed by passengers (27.5%), motorcyclists (20.0%) and pedestrians/bicyclists (2.5%, a significant decrease from 13.3% in 2007).

At local government area level in Tasmania, Clarence (10.4%) had the highest proportion of serious casualties, followed by Hobart and Glenorchy (6.6%), Southern Midlands (6.3%) and Waratah-Wynyard (5.7%).

SERIOUS CASUALTIES, by top 12 local government areas, 2008

In 2008, 203 (64.9%) serious casualties were male compared to 110 female serious casualties. Male serious casualties outnumbered females in all age groups except for the age group '64 and over' where there were 23 female serious casualties compared to 15 male casualties. Younger males, aged 17-29 years, were most likely to be a serious casualty (28.1%), followed by males aged 30-49 years (17.9%) and females aged 30-49 years (12.1%).

Over one third (37.4%) of serious casualties were aged 17-29 years, 30.0% were aged 30-49 years, 13.7% were aged 50-64 years, 12.1% were aged 65 and over, and 6.7% were aged under 17.

SERIOUS CASUALTIES, Tasmania, 2008

Neck injuries accounted for the highest proportion (30.0%) of injury claims lodged at the Motor Accident Insurance Board (MAIB) in 2007-08, followed by trunk injuries (18.0%) and arm injuries (14.0%). Fatalities accounted for 2.0% of all claims lodged.

INJURY CLAIMS, Tasmania, 2008

METHOD OF TRAVEL TO WORK

On the day before the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, most employed persons aged 15 years and over in Tasmania (81.5%) used one main method of travel to work, less than 1% used two methods of travel to get to work, 4.8% worked at home and 12.7% did not go to work. Of employed persons who used one method of transport to get to work, most (76.6%) travelled by car, as driver, followed by car, as passenger (8.9%) and walking (7.1%).

METHOD OF TRAVEL TO WORK(a), Tasmania

BUS PASSENGER MOVEMENTS

There were 9.6 million Metro bus passenger trips in Tasmania in 2007-08, a decrease of 2.7% in passenger trips from the 2006-07 figure of 9.9 million. Of the trips made in 2007-08, some 7.4 million (77.0%) were in Hobart, 1.7 million (17.9%) were in Launceston and 0.5 million (5.1%) were in Burnie.

During the period 2003-04 to 2007-08, Hobart experienced a 2.8% increase in bus passenger movements, while Launceston (-6.2%) and Burnie (-6.8%) both experienced a decrease.

BUS PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a), 2008

CHANGE IN BUS PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a), 2003-04 to 2007-08

AIR PASSENGER MOVEMENTS

In 2007-08, most air passenger movement in Tasmania occurred in and out of Hobart airport (1.8 million) and Launceston airport (1.1 million), compared with Devonport airport (98,700) Burnie (Wynyard) airport (95,300), King Island (31,300) and Flinders Island (18,200).

During the period 2003-04 to 2007-08, most of the main airports in Tasmania experienced a substantial increase in the number of passengers boarding or departing by major domestic and regional airlines. Launceston experienced the highest percentage change (64.7%), with an increase in air passenger movements from 671,900 in 2003-04 to 1.1 million in 2007-08. Flinders Island followed with an increase from 11,600 to 18,200 (56.9%); Hobart from 1.2 million to 1.8 million (43.5%); King Island from 23,200 to 31,300 (34.9%); and Burnie (Wynyard) from 89,700 to 95,300 (6.2%) . Devonport (-15.6%) experienced decreased air passenger movement during the same period.

AIR PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a), Main airports, Tasmania,2007-08

CHANGE IN AIR PASSENGERMOVEMENTS(a), Main airports,Tasmania, 2003-04 to 2007-08

BASS STRAIT FERRY MOVEMENTS

In 2007-08, the TT-Line completed 804 voyages across Bass Strait, carrying 385,028 passengers, 177,265 vehicles and 85,594 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of freight. This was a substantial decrease from the number of voyages, passengers and vehicles in 2006-07. The decline in the most recent years is largely due to the sale of Spirit of Tasmania 'III' in September 2006. This vessel began operating in January 2004 between Devonport and Sydney. Services of Spirit of Tasmania 'I' and 'II' continue to operate between Devonport and Melbourne.

BASS STRAITFERRY MOVEMENTS

CHANGE IN BASS STRAIT FERRYMOVEMENTS, 2005-06 to 2006-07

FREIGHT ACTIVITY

Domestic Freight

In 2004-05, a total of 8.9 billion tonne-kilometres of freight was carried in Tasmania. Most domestic freight was carried by sea (51.7%), followed by road (38.2%) and rail (10.1%). From 2002-03 to 2004-05, the proportion of shipped domestic freight decreased from 60.4% in 2002-03 to 51.7% in 2004-05. Conversely, the proportion of domestic freight carried by road increased almost 10.0%, from 32.3% to 38.2%. The share of domestic freight carried by rail also increased (12.5%) during the same period, from 8.3% to 10.1%.

DOMESTIC FREIGHT, Tasmania,
Proportion by mode of transport

International Freight

In 2007-08, most international freight was carried by sea (99.9%), compared with air (0.1%). From 2003-04 to 2007-08 the amount of shipped international freight increased by 0.7%, from 8.4 million tonnes to 8.5 million tonnes. During the same period, international freight by air decreased by 7.0%, from 8,200 tonnes to 7,600 tonnes.